-1333- Far more troublesome

And so, the days passed day by day.

Ikki, Stella, and Shizuku continued to navigate the selection battles smoothly without encountering any obstacles, achieving victory after victory. Their popularity among first-year students grew steadily, gaining attention even outside the school.

Of course, their smooth progress in the selection battles was only surface-deep; there were quite a few undisclosed issues in between.

The main issue was with Ikki.

After all, the Kurogane family members couldn't stand Ikki gaining fame. As Ikki became more and more famous, it naturally wasn't something the Kurogane family wanted to see.

So, during the selection battles, whether overtly or covertly, the Kurogane family caused Ikki quite a bit of trouble, attempting to disqualify him from participating in the "Seven Stars Sword Art Festival" or even expel him from school so he wouldn't become a Mage-Knight.

Unfortunately for them, Ikki had grown stronger now, and it was impossible to touch him without risking severe consequences. Moreover, with Shizuku supporting him and Stella occasionally intervening due to their friendship, the Kurogane family's various schemes naturally ended in vain.

Ikki continued to achieve victory in the selection battles while overcoming these undisclosed troubles.

Similarly, Stella and Shizuku advanced smoothly, bringing the selection battles closer to their conclusion.

In this situation, Rozen ended up being the most relaxed among them all. Apart from occasionally conducting research and experiments on magic and offering guidance to Ikki, Stella, and Shizuku to help them progress, Rozen completely detached himself from the rest, enjoying his own days.

This made Rozen feel as if the toil of the past ten years had finally eased, nourishing his weathered soul. He felt his mindset rejuvenating, feeling young again and beginning to live anew.

However, it was clear that Rozen had indeed grown weary over these ten years.

When it came to studying magic, Rozen never felt tired. Regardless of how many years had passed, he could continue as consistently as ever.

But the constant wandering over the past decade had indeed worn him out, making him long for a proper rest, which was why he had chosen to enter school and become a student.

Given this, Rozen was living quite comfortably at Hagun Academy, a rare moment of leisure and contentment, reminiscent of his life on the 22nd floor of SAO.

However...

"This time, I don't have a Vice Commander willing to travel a long distance to live with me, nor do I have an adorable little daughter."

Thinking this, Rozen began to feel nostalgic.

"I wonder how Asuna and Yui are doing now."

Are they still fighting in SAO?

If so...

"If Asuna finds out that I lost in the final duel with Heathcliff, will she be heartbroken?"

"If Yui learns that I can't go back, will she miss me?"

"And what about Kirito and those idiots in the guild? Without me, are they targeted again, treated as outcasts once more?"

"The members of the clearing group, having lost me and learned of Heathcliff's betrayal, can they still hold on and continue to organize effective clearing strategies?"

These questions have existed in Rozen's mind not just now but have always been there in the past, occasionally surfacing.

At the same time, not only in the world of Sword Art Online, but Rozen has also left behind some matters of concern in other worlds.

If he were to handle all these matters, even a hundred Rozen wouldn't be enough.

Fortunately, with the difference in the flow of time between worlds, Rozen can afford not to rush like this, slowly getting through them.

There's no way around it; every world has things he can't let go of, and Rozen has to seek time for refinement in each world, lest rushing would cause more harm.

Rather than becoming like that, it's better to solve one thing at a time at the established pace, do what needs to be done, and not be too hasty. That's the right approach.

In the previous world, Rozen was blinded by immersion in saving Mash, losing his judgment for a while. Such a thing cannot be repeated.

Therefore, no matter how urgent the situation, with the time difference in place, Rozen should relax. Only then will there be a time to solve everything.

With this in mind, Rozen smiled bitterly.

"In the end, I've been wandering all this time."

Even without ten years of wandering in this world, Rozen has been wandering in various different worlds.

"Perhaps, this is my fate?"

Thinking so, Rozen unconsciously rubbed the brilliant ring on his finger several times.

"With you, I'm destined to wander through various worlds."

Although, thanks to "Miracle," Rozen has been able to grow, gain time, and opportunities from various worlds, and save various things.

"In any case, let's finish what needs to be done first. I came to this world with a purpose, don't you agree?"

Rozen had uttered this sentence countless times, but he wasn't sure if he was saying it to the ring on his finger or to the white-haired girl who had silently followed him since he arrived in this world, no longer engaging in conversation with him.

Thus, as Rozen gradually regained his vitality and rested fully, the selection battles at Hagun Academy also came to an end.

After countless matches, Hagun Academy finally selected six representative participants.

These six representative participants are as follows:

"Todo Touka, a B-rank Knight from Class 3-3."

"Totokubara Kanata, a B-rank Knight from Class 3-2."

"Kurogane Ikki, an F-rank Knight from Class 1-1."

"Stella Vermillion, an A-rank Knight from Class 1-1."

"Arisuin Nagi, a D-rank Knight from Class 1-1."

"Kurogane Shizuku, a B-rank Knight from Class 1-4."

These six individuals are the representatives of Hagun Academy.

However, this list was not what Rozen had expected.

At least, from Rozen's perspective, the strongest individuals in Hagun Academy are Ikki, Stella, Shizuku, Touka, and Totokubara Kanata. These five are the strongest combination in Hagun Academy, and if they participate in the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival, they will surely achieve astonishing results.

On the other hand, the last one...

"Arisuin Nagi?"

Who might this be?

Rozen couldn't help but be curious.

After all, Rozen had not expected that apart from Stella and the others, there would be someone in the first-year class who could make it through all the challenges and become a representative participant of Hagun Academy.

Moreover...

"Class 1-1?"

Isn't that the same class as Rozen, Ikki, and Stella?

"I never knew there was such a person hidden in our class."

Rozen was curious about this.

Until...

"We agreed to celebrate together. Would you like to join us, Rozen?"

Stella said this to Rozen in their dormitory that day.

"All the representative participants of Hagun Academy will go together?"

This statement made Rozen raise an eyebrow.

In other words...

"Will Arisuin Nagi also be there?"

Thinking this, Rozen replied.

"I'll go."

That settled the plan for that day.

However, Rozen would never have imagined.

That on this day, the people he would meet would be far more troublesome than he had imagined...